90-Second Read: NC officials: Nebraska Hantavirus quarantine extended through end of month

North Carolina health officials say passengers quarantined in Nebraska after potential exposure to the deadly Hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius will remain there through at least the end of the month. Scott Shone, director of the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health, said states with passengers in the Nebraska quarantine received the update late Monday. Shone said local and state health officials have been working closely with federal partners.

Options for transport are being worked out through the federal government in collaboration with state and local partners. Andes is the only Hantavirus strain known to spread person-to-person, and can cause severe respiratory illness. As of May 19, the CDC reports no cases in the United States have been reported in connection to the ship.

The lab director noted the state is in the process of bringing a PCR test online in Raleigh that could similarly test for Hantavirus if needed. Shone said North Carolina has spent years preparing for rare disease threats, including training of medical staff through UNC Health's Special Pathogen Response Center in Chapel Hill. Three people have already died in connection to the cruise ship outbreak.